You are here

Education: Early Childhood–6 Core Subjects & Special Education

Elementary education is the term commonly used to describe the formal teaching and care of children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home, usually from early childhood through 6th grade. Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions. These interventions are designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and community than would be available if the students were only given access to a typical classroom education.

Description of Field

Students receive a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with Texas teaching certifications in EC-6 Core Subjects and EC-12 Special Education. As part of the 120 credit hours students are required to take for the Bachelor of Science degree, students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program by fulfilling GPA requirements and passing the THEA test with the required scores for admission to the Teacher Education Program. These scores may differ from score requirements for admission to the university. Students must also complete Clinical I which includes classroom observations and Clinical II which is the student teaching semester. Finally, in order to teach in the state of Texas, students must pass state certification exams which they are eligible to take after completing the Teacher Education Program and consulting with the UNT Dallas Certification Officer to ensure they are adequately prepared before registering. After these requirements are completed, students are eligible for teacher certification through UNT Dallas.

Possible Employers

Students are primarily being prepared to teach all subjects in early childhood through 6th grade and special education students from early childhood through 12th grade with this degree. However, the following employers also look to hire certified teachers.